Page 211 of Teacher's Pet

When Roman first approached me with the offer to go undercover, I laughed in his face. The fact that I’d buried bodies a year ago had apparently earned me his admiration, proof that I had the fight in me. So I changed my major from English to Criminal Justice. The idea of putting corrupt, filthy people behind bars called to me in a way I never expected.

Once I graduate, I’ll be working alongside Noah and Roman—something Noah is still trying to come to terms with.

"After you graduate, silly," Eden says with a knowing smile. "I’m telling you, kids change you. Roman never thought he wanted them, especially with Catalyst being what it is. But the moment he met Eve..." She trails off, eyes softening as she watches her husband and daughter. "Everything changed."

I follow her gaze. Noah kneels beside Eve as she chatters on, animated and full of life. Roman stands close, hands casually tucked in his pockets, yet his expression gives him away. He’d burn the world for that little girl.

A strange pull tugs at my chest.Maybe that’s a future I want…

Before the thought can fully form, the front door bursts open.

"I know you said to bring sides," Aiden, Eden’s brother, announces as he stumbles inside, balancing what looks like an elaborate dessert. "But Zoey went overboard."

Right on cue, Zoey bounces in behind him, arms overloaded with shopping bags. Her face practically glows as she grins at us.

"This baby is hungry for… well, everything," she laughs, rubbing her small but unmistakable baby bump.

"Ana!" Zoey beams, eyes lighting up the moment she spots me. "I’m so happy you’re here-"

"Aunt Zoey!" Eve shrieks, skidding across the hardwood floors. "I made something for you!"

Eden groans, pressing a hand to her forehead. "God, I gotta stop this. Zoey cannot hold her tongue now that she’s pregnant."

Roman and Noah join us inside, greeting Aiden and Zoey with effortless familiarity, the group slipping into easy conversation. Laughter hums through the house, warmth filling every corner of the room.

Then, just as I start to relax, I feel him.

Noah creeps up behind me, his hands ghosting over my waist before his lips brush the sensitive skin of my neck. His voice is low, meant only for me.

"Come with me for a minute," he murmurs, the heat in his tone making my pulse stutter. "You look too good in that dress."

Before I can respond, he’s already guiding me away, turning down a quiet hallway.

The moment the guest bathroom door closes behind us, his hands are on me in an instant.

Noah’s lips trail along my neck, the heat of his breath sending shivers down my spine. His hands slide under my dress, dragging the fabric higher, fingertips grazing my skin with deliberate, torturous slowness.

I pull him closer, pressing my lips to his, biting down gently on his lower lip. He groans, the sound vibrating through me, making my heart race.

His voice is a whisper against my skin. "What were you and Eden talking about, pretty girl?"

He kisses the spot on my neck that always makes my knees weak, his touch unraveling me piece by piece.

"Eve," I murmur, smiling. "Eden thinks you want one."

His lips still. He pulls back just enough to meet my eyes, searching. His voice is quieter now, more serious.

"Would that be so crazy?"

I take him in, every piece of him, the man who once held his demons so tightly they nearly consumed him. The man who loves me with a fire that burns through every shadow I’ve ever known.

I shake my head slowly. "I have no idea how to be a mother-"

"Not now," Noah growls, his mouth skimming my jawline again. "But one day."

The thought lingers between us, unspoken possibilities crackling like electricity in the air.

"You, me, a little baby," he whispers. "Giving them the life I never had."

---